INTERVIEW : Duskope
Duskope has been making waves on the Toronto scene for a couple years now. His blend of old-school garage, 90s house and modern dance music has made him one of the most exciting up-and-coming DJs in town. We had a chat with the man to talk about his influences, his favorite creative tool and the Canadian dance music scene.
How did you become a musician/DJ? (Tell us where you’re from, what’s your background, etc...)
I'm from Whitby, Ontario, which is in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada! I just turned 25 and I've been pursuing music since I was about 19. I met this dude named Devon Jeffrey who happened to live in my neighborhood and he invited me over to hang out and watch some sports. When I got to his house he was Spinning some cool ass music I had never really heard before nor have I ever seen a pair of decks so close. I was pretty intrigued and really wanted to know more about what was going on! At the time I had about $1500 in my savings. The next day I bought a DJ controller and a used laptop from Kijiji ahah. Thank god for Devon though because he gave me about half of his music library! Thanks Dev!
I started producing about 4 months later! I did what everyone does at the start and got a pirated copy of FL Studio 11 (I should mention I do have a fully legal copy now!) It’s been a huge learning curve! Very different from DJing
How do you approach DJing VS music production? Are they two separate things or two sides of the same coin?
So I mean there are some similarities for sure, but they’re very different crafts, When showing up for a gig you don't really know what you're getting into, for example, crowds are usually different people every time you play em with the exception of regulars so you have to keep that in mind. I usually have an idea of what I want to play but depending on what the DJ before me is playing I might have to work the crowd into that vibe or go in a completely different direction altogether. You have to keep in mind that our job is to make people dance and provide musical entertainment. However, I wouldn't go to a house music club and play hip hop... That's not cool ahah!
When approaching a new production it's either-or, sometimes it’s just a sample and I put drums to it or sometimes I do the drums and get that rockin ;)
What do you think of the dance music scene in Toronto?
The dance music scene in Toronto is decent, but it’s not very diverse. The majority of dance music here is either dancehall or techno. Techno is cool but my vibe definitely sits in the deeper realm like garage house, deep house really anything with that golden 90’s vibe to it
I’d have to say my favorite venues are currently Coda, and One Loft but when i first started going out The Hoxton and the The Acid Lounge inside of The Guvernment. As for Artists, there are so many coming out of Toronto right now! I’d day some of my favorites right now are Brock Edwards, Andy Reid, Hatiras, Vincent Caira, Terror Tone, and Pavzo.
What are the most important things for you when you DJ?
The most important thing for me is that I'm having fun. I don’t want to sound generic but when i started getting into music that was the driving factor. I think if i wasn't enjoying it, it's probably time to give it up. Something else that's important is getting photos and videos because if a tree falls in the woods and no one was there to hear it, did it make a sound? With the rise of social media, it's an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality.
What’s your approach when you do a remix? (And what makes a good remix?)
When doing an official remix I look through what's been provided and I think about what samples I'd like to use. Some samples I feel like you don't have a choice and you have to use it, or at least the main part of it, like a vocal for instance. I like when remixes bring a good flavor to the original if that makes sense? Or if there was a garage remix of a tech house tune, if you get what I'm saying. A good example of a remix would be Leigh D Oliver’s remix of Ensall’s What They Say.
You’ve been very prolific. What are some of the things you’re the proudest of?
I think the biggest one off the top of my head would be winning this DJ contest to open for KRFW at the Oshawa Music Hall, a few years ago. At that time, I had next to no gigs, and only a few promoters ran the house music scene Oshawa. But aside from winning, I met one of my best friends and label partner Brock Edwards. He was also one of the top 3 contenders who I was competing against. We’ve grown extremely close and have both grown on our own as artists!
Some other big milestones for me were signing with Love Not Money Records. They were some of my biggest inspirations when I was starting out. Playing at Coda was also huge for me. I'll always remember that! Also just recently I was asked to do a remix of a Demarkus Lewis track so I can't wait to see how that turns out! There are honestly so many good things that have happened and it makes me really thankful for music and all the amazing memories it has brought me!
Your sound is raw and well-defined, a nod to the past of house with a modern feel… What are some of your favorite production tools?
At the moment my favourite tool is probably the Korg M1. It's an absolute powerhouse full of good organic sounds and I find more all the time when experimenting with chords! Another big tool for me is Splice. When I'm struggling to write or if I’m looking for a vocal sample etc Splice seems to do the trick 95% of the time! Some other honourable mentions to FabFIlter Suite, Air Music Velvet, and the Waves SSL Glue Compressor.
Which artists inspire you at the moment?
My biggest Inspirations at the moment would probably be Low Steppa, Kerri Chandler, Dennis Quin, Mike Millrain, Marc Cotterell and Jeremy Sylvester. Also i'd like to give a shout out to Martin Depp and his label Pogo House for pushing the garage house sound at the moment! I also want to give one more shout to the Bruverly Dubs duo! They have a few new bits coming out on Brock and I’s Thursday Trax imprint and they are def some to watch out for!
What’s coming up for Duskope?
This first quarter has quite a bit! I have a few releases on the likes of Phoenix Music, Dub City Traxx, Pogo House, Smashing Trax, and White Widow Records. I've also recently made my debut at the Drake Underground alongside some solid locals, Pavzo, Weston & Teston, Brock Edwards and Ryme! Other than that I have some cool radio shows coming up with the House Radio Digital guys out in the UK and the dudes at ISO Radio here in Toronto! If all goes as planned I will also be heading to Amsterdam in October for ADE!
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